Tachycardia - what should I do?

[melc23]

I have been wearing a chest hr monitor for the last week and have been concerned that I seem to be tachycardiac in the afternoons. My resting heart rate whilst lying on the sofa is averaging at 110 but sitting typing this on my tablet its peaking at 130 BPM.

I'm naturally concerned about this but as I live in the UK and rely on the NHS I don't know what to do about it. Not sure how seriously my GP will take it and whether any investigations will get me v far.

Could anyone advise me?

 

[SOC]

130 BPM sitting still is pretty high, but I don't know what level the NHS requires for treatment. Generally speaking, a heart rate of more than 100 BPM at rest is considered tachycardia warranting treatment.

Your best bet is probably to gather some data, take it to your GP and ask for a cardiology referral. Useful data would probably be your HR at various times during the day and in different positions to show that it is consistently high. You could also do the Simple Test for Orthostatic Intolerance and show those results to your GP if they are abnormal.

You won't know if your GP will do anything until you ask. To get the best results, though, make sure you go in with plenty of data so they can't dismiss your in-office high heart rate as "doctor's office stress". Sometimes it helps if you insist that your data be put in your medical file. Some doctors will do more for you if they're aware that there's now evidence of a potential problem in your file because then if you have a crisis later and there's evidence in your file that they ignored a serious problem, they might look bad.

 

[ahimsa]

@melc23 - I don't know anything about the NHS but you'd think they would at least do a holter monitor (24 hour EKG) or something like that. Shouldn't doctors be testing to rule out any kind of arrythmia? I guess it depends on the symptoms.

I like the suggestions by @SOC. I would add that in my own case the doctor always took me more seriously when my husband came to the appointment with me. Sad, but true. If you have a friend, partner, or family member who can go with you to the doctor it can help with credibility.

It does seem that most doctors, even cardiologists, seldom know much about autonomic dysfunction of any kind. So getting a diagnosis of Orthostatic Intolerance (OI) is harder. And even if you get a diagnosis of OI it can be hard for doctors to take it seriously and realize just how disabling it can be.

 

[daisybell]

I would think that your GP should want to see you to at least rule out other causes e.g. High thyroid etc. I got very tachycardic when my thyroid levels were too high, and my ECG was very abnormal. If your HR is that high, then exercise is at least out of the question!

 

[melc23]

Just thought I'd let you know I've been to GP this morning. Had ecg - hr is def fast but no other problems showing. Done more blood tests and wants me to go back in two weeks. She wants to keep a watch on it and decide if needs further investigation. I'm imagining though that it's just the ME and they really won't find much in the way of explanation. Thanks for advice and encouraging me to go get it checked. I always feel like I'm wasting their time. Xx

 

[Valentijn]

I'm imagining though that it's just the ME and they really won't find much in the way of explanation. Thanks for advice and encouraging me to go get it checked. I always feel like I'm wasting their time. Xx

Even if it's "just the ME" it can usually be treated.

 

[GONZ0hunter]

My heart rate runs that as well.

Rythm is good though, I've been to a cardiologist and they founds it's ok

 

[SOC]

Had ecg - hr is def fast but no other problems showing.

Possibly meaning they didn't test for the things that could be causing it, not that there's nothing abnormal. Good to know it isn't any of the common, obvious cardiac issues, though. Now the GP needs to look for what IS causing the problem now that they know what isn't.

Even if it's "just the ME" it can usually be treated.

Yes, that's where a number of doctors, especially NHS ones, fall flat on their faces. Just because it's a symptom related to ME, doesn't mean it's untreatable. Beta-blockers and calcium-channel blockers can reduce tachy and make you feel better. If your tachy is caused in part by low blood volume, Florinef or desmopressin might help by increasing blood volume. As Val said, it could also be a thyroid issue.

You could go back to your GP and insist on tests for things that could be causing tachycardia, since all she did was look at a few of the possible causes. Tests worth asking about are: thyroid function, aldosterone levels, vasopressin level. There are probably others I'm not thinking of.